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Buying a Former Rental Class C. How many of us out there?

IAMICHABOD
Explorer II
Explorer II
While researching these pages for my next Motor Home I saw a few threads discussing Rentals, most were Pros and Cons but very few posts from people who had purchased one.

I thought it may be a good resource and helpful to hear from these people. The good, the bad, what they liked and what they didnโ€™t. Also if they had any problems, things they changed, if they would recommend this to others or do it again.

Here is my story: I am not a novice, having owned a Class A for more than 15 years and doing the camping thing with my wife and two daughters, I can say โ€œbeen there done thatโ€ But life changes, and I sold everything so I have been away from this for several years. Starting over I lurked here for a while and got a lot of good insight then went looking.

My criteria was: A Class C within by budget, less than 30 feet so I can keep it at home, saving storage $, a rear bed, and a lot of storage space.

What fit that was Winnebago, Fleetwood and a few others, what I found mostly was Jamboree / Tioga 26Q. In the year models 2002 thru 2006. I did my home work looking at NADA and other sites to find the fair prices for the models that I was looking for.

After several months of searching the internet, Craigslist, private ads and Dealerships for a Class C that suited my budget and needs, this is what I found. Of the dozen or so I inquired about.Most were upsidedown in their payments, owing more than they were worth. All were on Ford Chassis, 7 needed tires, all had the original 7 to 10 year old tires, and they all needed repair of the awning and most needed some work inside or out and the maintenance records were sketchy, but most had low mileage. The Dealerships offerings were better but they had a profit margin to maintain so I got older models within my budget or huge up sales that didnโ€™t work for me.

My next step was looking at the rental market for sales. In my area there are 2 large companies that have rental sales, Cruise America and El Monte RV,who also sell Class A RVs.

First up was El Monte RV Their units are production RVs that are made by major manufactures, with TV antennas and hookups inside and out, Ducted A/C and heat, 2 house batteries, a rear ladder and parts are readily available from those manufactureโ€™s. I looked at their web site and it detailed their warranty and what was checked and serviced by their factory trained technicians. The unit I looked at was like new inside, the upholstery on all the seats was new as was the floor mat in the driverโ€™s area, it had a new mattress, still in plastic and a new bedspread. All of the curtains were new also. Newer (2010 mfg date) tires with 98% rubber and the mileage was ninety thousand (90,000).

Then there was Cruise America: Their units that I looked at seemed to be Spartan,no TV antenna or hookups for one,non-ducted A/C,small counter space and only one battery, no rear ladder for inspection and maintenance of roof and built just for them, they were all โ€œrefreshedโ€ their words not mine. They offered extended warranties at a huge cost. All had high mileage, one hundred and thirty thousand (130,000) or more and the price range seemed a little high. The sales staff had a take it or leave it attitude and were not very forthcoming when asked about maintenance records and service,they claim to have proprietary info in those records,It doesn't seem to be a problem for El Monte RV.

At El Monte RV I took a test ride; This Unit was a 2006 Tioga 26Q on a Chevrolet Chassis it rode
Drove and handled much better than the Fords that I had driven. It also had more leg room and was quieter. We got back and I asked about the service and maintenance on it, the salesman, Joey, handed me a 28 page single spaced document asked if I wanted some coffee or something to drink and said โ€œread this and if you have any questions I will answer themโ€.

It detailed everything that was done before and after each rental, the mileage, generator hours and hours billed. Each time it was washed and detailed inside and outside, all fluids were checked and replenished if needed, the holding tanks were washed, LP system was checked for leaks, all torque on wheel lugs were checked, brakes front and rear checked for wear and cracks, pressure in tires, all appliances, generator oil, lights inside and outside, the list goes on and on.

It also listed all oil changes,coolant change,trans service,fuel injector service and cleaning,fuel filters,air filter, new brakes, all repairs and replacements all with date, mileage and time spent in complete detail from day one to when it was pulled from the rental fleet and was refurbished. I have a complete service record on this vehicle.Also the service records on the Onan Generator,all oil changes,air filter and spark plug replacement with hours and date. I negotiated a good deal with them and am very happy with my purchase.

It came with a 1 yr. 12000 mile power train warranty and 30 day on all appliances. It also came with a 28 page maintenance record that detailed everything. Also the original sales packet from Fleetwood with the manual and serial numbers on all appliances,refrigerator, microwave,furnace, AC, water heater, etc. and the manual for the Chassis. I have had no problems with it so far.

(ON EDIT) 5 Years and close to 14000 miles.Just Scheduled Maintenance and new tires,old ones were at the 5 year mark and I wanted new Michelin LTX M/S2s.

There were a few things that it didnโ€™t have as it was a rental and the ones from private parties did have.
โ€ข Power steps, outside Stereo/CD donโ€™t need or want them.
โ€ข An Awning, this I wanted and had installed. A Swivel Seat and a new Window in The Door that I installed.
โ€ข Wheel Simulators, I like the looks so I had them installed and at the same time had Tire Man valve stem kit put on.
โ€ข Replaced the Chinese WFCO with a US Made converter/charger
โ€ข It came with mini blinds and not the day/night that most have, these are more practical and have a lot less failure.
  • It also came with Stainless Steel sinks,easier to maintain than the cheap plastic ones that come in the noncommercial units.

I am very happy with my Rig, it suites my needs and it was in my Budget range, I think I got a good deal.

So if you bought a rental please share your experience here for others to use as a resource.
Or if there are any other questions that have not been covered in these pages, just ask, there are many helpful people on this thread.
2006 TIOGA 26Q CHEVY 6.0 WORKHORSE VORTEC
Former El Monte RV Rental
Retired Teamster Local 692
Buying A Rental Class C
1,715 REPLIES 1,715

gotsmart
Explorer
Explorer
all of a sudden I feel old
2005 Cruise America 28R (Four Winds 28R) on a 2004 Ford E450 SD 6.8L V10 4R100
2009 smart fortwo Passion with Roadmaster "Falcon 2" towbar & tail light kit - pictures

RVandHD
Explorer
Explorer
I wanted to say how much I appreciated this thread. I have finished reading all 157 pages.

It has been a great help.

Thanks to @iamichabod for starting it, and to all the folks that added value with their many posts over the years.

IAMICHABOD
Explorer II
Explorer II
Cavenagoodtime,

Welcome to the Forum! Also to the ranks of the Happy Former Rental Owners Club,I will put you on the ever growing list,you will be #140.

Too bad your pictures did not come out,I would like to see them. As a new member sometimes they wont allow it until you have made a few posts.
Also the link you put up will not allow access.

To post pictures here Follow this link and it will walk you thru it,pretty simple to use.

Again welcome,and when you get those mods done please come on back and show us or any new updates to share with the others.

Have a great Camping Season!
2006 TIOGA 26Q CHEVY 6.0 WORKHORSE VORTEC
Former El Monte RV Rental
Retired Teamster Local 692
Buying A Rental Class C

Cavenagoodtime
Explorer
Explorer
Hi everyone,
โ€œNewโ€ owner of a 2005 28a here. I bought it from a guy that redid the interior and added a few things. Iโ€™ve added 300w of solar and a Battle Born lithium battery. On my list of things to do are new front brakes, a new shower pan, and a new compartment door for the generator. Having a great time with it. No problems so far with a half dozen trips from Orange County to Tahoe and desert trips with our Polaris RZR.

TwistedGray
Explorer
Explorer
Is anyone going to be in the market for a 19G within the next 0-2 months? We have a low mile (87-88k, I forget) that I will be listing soon.

Pepi_s_Mom
Explorer
Explorer
CwglIndn wrote:
I can't remember if anyone posted the information previously, but here is a link to the Cruise America BUYER RESOURCE Page. Currently it goes back to 2007 models. It has MANUALS for the Ford Chassis and Thor or Four Winds. Also, as previously posted, you can register on Thor website for more resources. Thor RV Owner Resources

Cruise America Buyer Resources 2007-Present

https://www.cruiseamerica.com/help/resources/buyer-s-resources
https://www.thormotorcoach.com/owner-resource/


Thank you for the links. We don't have our rig yet, it's nice to know where to find stuff when we do.

CwglIndn
Explorer
Explorer
I can't remember if anyone posted the information previously, but here is a link to the Cruise America BUYER RESOURCE Page. Currently it goes back to 2007 models. It has MANUALS for the Ford Chassis and Thor or Four Winds. Also, as previously posted, you can register on Thor website for more resources. Thor RV Owner Resources

Cruise America Buyer Resources 2007-Present

https://www.cruiseamerica.com/help/resources/buyer-s-resources
https://www.thormotorcoach.com/owner-resource/

IAMICHABOD
Explorer II
Explorer II
Booner, #130 on the list of happy owners.

Thanks for the update of your Running Boards Mod on your Rig.

A picture of it would be pretty helpful to the other members,if you have not done this before,This Link will walk you thru it. It really is pretty simple once you have done it.

I have also made a CLICKY to the link for the Running Boards to make it easier for the others.

Thanks for coming back and sharing with the group,it will be very helpful to the others,I am sure.

Keep them coming :B
2006 TIOGA 26Q CHEVY 6.0 WORKHORSE VORTEC
Former El Monte RV Rental
Retired Teamster Local 692
Buying A Rental Class C

Booner
Explorer
Explorer
INSTALLING RUNNING BOARDS ON A MAJESTIC 23A

Many pages back on this thread, someone asked about putting running boards on their RV. It can be done! I put a pair on my unit yesterday and it is so much easier to climb into the cab now, and I have a 36" inseam.

I purchased the Running Boards, or as they call them Step Boards for a company called Carid, online, and the model was the 7 inch wide, 36 inch long "Luverne." At least on a 23A, you have 37 inches from the rear of the front tire well to the front of the coach and the boards I purchased were 36 inches long and they fit with plenty of clearance from the front tire.

The instructions left a little to be desired, but after spending a little time in trial fitting the mounting brackets to the underneath of the cab, I was able to figure out their instructions. The model I purchased included everything I needed to do a complete install, but the company neglected to provide instruction for mounting the running boards to the mounting brackets, but I figured it out. If you do some digging around on the Carid website, they do provide instructions.

It took me a couple of hours to do the complete install and I was able to do it myself. I'm very happy with the running boards. It's so much easier to get in and out of the cab, plus I think the boards will act somewhat like mud flaps and keep the lower door panels and lower front of the coach a little cleaner.

link--> https://www.carid.com/luverne-truck-equipment/7-grip-step-black-step-boards.html?urlId=79288326

Booner
Explorer
Explorer
Hoerschel wrote:
The importance of a TPMS: tire pressure monitoring system. I recently bought a used 30' Class C with 111k miles on the clock from Cruise America. Prior to sale I had performed the perfunctory safety checks, especially on the tires, ensuring they were within 3-5 years from manufacturing date, had good tread, no sidewall cracks and were aired-up appropriately. However, the coach lacked a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS)--and I thought NOTHING of it. "No big deal," I told myself. I'll religiously check the pressure prior to every trip and that's good enough. That is, until the fateful day recently when I discovered, while parked at a rest stop, that my outer right rear dually looked mighty low. It was a Sunday and I was in Penrose, CO. Fortunately, I found the owner of a tire shop working on his day off and he kindly agreed to put some air in my tire. "Whoa," he said. "Your outer tire is low because it's bearing all the weight that should be shared with the inner dually. And THAT tire is flatter than a pancake. Unrepairable."
Whaaa...? Folks, only minutes earlier, I had driven down a treacherous mountain road out of Westcliffe, CO. One with lots of curves, aggressive drivers and a need for reasonable speed. How and where that tire failed I have no idea. And my ignorance of the situation needlessly imperiled me and everyone else on the road. One failed tire could easily have led to two, loss of control and--well, your imagination of a disaster is as good as mine. As I listened to the tire man I began to shudder with the thought of the catastrophe I had miraculously been spared. And how a TPMS is no longer a luxury in my mind. It is an absolute necessity. I'm no longer an indolent wise guy. I got a clue. And I hope you all do, too.


I used to live in Colorado and I know the roads you were driving on. They require all of your attention no matter what type of vehicle you're driving.

I just made a post about checking the tire's tightness of the valve core into the valve stem in the general class C section. Perhaps your flat was caused because your valve core was loose and allowed the air to leak? (I thought I was making my post in this section). My tires hold air much better now since I did this simple little bit of maintenance.

CwglIndn
Explorer
Explorer
ONE YEAR UPDATE: Bought our 2015 23a beginning of last year just as COVID hit and I think we got the best price just before everything in RV industry exploded. This update is based on some reading for the last 10 or so pages.

Summary: We love our RV.

Upgrades: Installed rear camera over the rearview mirror. Nice wood cover/ cutting board. Stove cover. TPMS VERY IMPORTANT! Chrome steps into cab. Front mud flaps -VERY IMPORTANT for finish. Added brake controller and 7 pin trailer connector. -Put turn pins on our stove vent to stop it from flying open and popping off in high winds.

Problems: 1) as stated in prior post generator circuit board caught fire and leak in water on first day was repaired by CA. 2) The bumper rear detectors were cut and missing, but electronics present. Solar is wired. 3) Refrigerator stopped working on AC, but still works on gas-will check later. 4) Had a bad leak from where the awning was installed in the back and had to seal with Silicon. CHECK the install of your awning! Leaked down to the bed and I woke up wet. 5) We noticed, before rain, that the front clearance lights were not fully sealed, used silicon. CHECK THESE SEALS 6) we also have major smoke only on Arizona steep inclines, but we were towing a lot too. Wish it was a E450. If it continues we will use our powertrain warranty to check it, but we have 4 more years. 7) Rear "mudflaps" are loosening and brace is failing.

We did not buy the interior warranty and we are glad with our awning and powertrain warranty purchases. about 9MPG average and we have put about 5k miles with short trips. We use a basic RV surge protector, and have plastic drive up blocks for leveling. Also use a water filter for filling.

Hoerschel
Explorer
Explorer
The importance of a TPMS: tire pressure monitoring system. I recently bought a used 30' Class C with 111k miles on the clock from Cruise America. Prior to sale I had performed the perfunctory safety checks, especially on the tires, ensuring they were within 3-5 years from manufacturing date, had good tread, no sidewall cracks and were aired-up appropriately. However, the coach lacked a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS)--and I thought NOTHING of it. "No big deal," I told myself. I'll religiously check the pressure prior to every trip and that's good enough. That is, until the fateful day recently when I discovered, while parked at a rest stop, that my outer right rear dually looked mighty low. It was a Sunday and I was in Penrose, CO. Fortunately, I found the owner of a tire shop working on his day off and he kindly agreed to put some air in my tire. "Whoa," he said. "Your outer tire is low because it's bearing all the weight that should be shared with the inner dually. And THAT tire is flatter than a pancake. Unrepairable."
Whaaa...? Folks, only minutes earlier, I had driven down a treacherous mountain road out of Westcliffe, CO. One with lots of curves, aggressive drivers and a need for reasonable speed. How and where that tire failed I have no idea. And my ignorance of the situation needlessly imperiled me and everyone else on the road. One failed tire could easily have led to two, loss of control and--well, your imagination of a disaster is as good as mine. As I listened to the tire man I began to shudder with the thought of the catastrophe I had miraculously been spared. And how a TPMS is no longer a luxury in my mind. It is an absolute necessity. I'm no longer an indolent wise guy. I got a clue. And I hope you all do, too.

Booner
Explorer
Explorer
texasvwnut wrote:
Hi all. Questions about Cruise America Thor Majestic 23A coach battery.

1) What manufactures, size and type battery did your 23A come with? Mine came with a a Lifetime AMG Deep Cycle Group 31.

2) Was your battery just on the battery tray or did it come with a strap and/or any protection from road debris/elements?

3) Have you replaced your battery and if so, what did you decide to go with? Did you stay with an AMG or go the traditional flooded deep cycle?


1 & 2
My 23A came with a new (what the salesman said) group 31 AGM which just sat on the battery tray-no tiedowns.

3
I've thought about replacing it, as I have no idea how many recharge cycles it's gone through and it seems to loose it's charge, especially when it sits for a few weeks. I've put it on a battery charger if it sits longer than this time period. If I were to replace it, I'd go with another AGM, and add a second battery and a solar panel. You shouldn't mix a flooded and AGM batteries, and I like the idea of no maintenance of the AGM. The Lithium's are just too expensive for the way I use my coach.

eldel
Explorer
Explorer
IAMICHABOD wrote:

Are those all new seats? That table apparatus in the foreground of the picture looks pretty heavy duty,I have not seen anything like that,Is also used to lift something? How does it work?


Actually the black item in the foreground is a chair lift - for transferring people from wheelchair outside to grey swivel chair inside. The table you can kinda see between the seats.

I got it from https://travelliftchair.com/

It's a bit noisy as it's a powered screw thread so I need to build a sound deadening box for the power unit at the top.

quasimatter wrote:


Hi Eldel - if you could provide some details and links for where did you get those chairs; I would really appreciate it. This would be the mod I would love to do (i.e., get rid of that couch and replace with two swiveling chairs). Thanks in advance.


The chairs are these ...
https://www.discountvantruck.com/rvhighbackcaptainsseats/motorhomefurnituresedona-iS.htm

Note that the front passenger seat is a massive pain to fit. To get enough room for it to swivel you need to mount it in and back - which means you end up having to remove the central storage (note the cup holders) and create a custom mount to put the swivel mount on. Having said that - it's awesome when you can use it.

I should point out that I merely provide the requirements and the money for most of this. I'm incredibly fortunate to have a local business that does RV customization.

On another note - was anyone here in the Tetons this week? I saw another 28a in Colter village.

I can report that 2x205W solar panels and 2*100Ah Li batteries are quite sufficient to run all our power needs with no generator. Including kettle, coffee maker, microwave etc. Not the AC though - that needs shore power or the generator.

It's also plain that these units are designed for single night stops between hookups at most. Like others I find the tiny grey water tank a pain. That's going on the winter to-do wishlist.

Also - for those wondering about a TPM setup - I had a rear inner fail (valve stem seal) on the outbound journey this week and the alarm allowed me to pull over before anything catastrophic happened. 2 items of note for this incident
i) coach-net claim that they can tell where you are from the phone - well not this week they couldn't. Despite me initiating the call from their app I ended up having to explain in excruciating detail where we were. They still got it wrong - despite it being the only gas station for 20 miles.
ii) try not to need emergency service on reservation territory - they had a huge issue finding anyone permitted to work there. It took 6 hours and they had to ask the local emergency services for advice.

texasvwnut
Explorer
Explorer
Hi all. Questions about Cruise America Thor Majestic 23A coach battery.

1) What manufactures, size and type battery did your 23A come with? Mine came with a a Lifetime AGM Deep Cycle Group 31.

2) Was your battery just on the battery tray or did it come with a strap and/or any protection from road debris/elements?

3) Have you replaced your battery and if so, what did you decide to go with? Did you stay with an AMG or go the traditional flooded deep cycle?
2016 Thor Majestic 23A
Ex Cruise America RV Rental